Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Neo-Modern Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
92,861 games: White 47.0% / Draw 7.2% / Black 45.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 49,77550K | ||
| 23,34823K | ||
| 11,31211K | ||
| 1,8861,886 | ||
| 1,8191,819 | ||
| 1,6761,676 | ||
| 1,1621,162 | ||
| 753753 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 7, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.49 White is slightly better
Best play: 9. f4 Be7 10. Nf3 b5 11. Bxf6 gxf6 12. f5 h5 13. Kb1 Qa5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Neo-Modern Variation (ECO B67, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Sicilian Defense: Open, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 a6 8. O-O-O Bd7 (8 moves).
In 92,861 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.0%, Black 45.8% and 7.2% were drawn. White's most played move here is 9. f4, in 54% of those games.
It continues into one named variation. In all, 2 named lines continue from it.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Neo-Modern Variation
9. f3 scores best for White: 53.6%, with White winning 50.2% and Black 43.0% of 23K games. The most played answer, 9. f4, scores lowest: 49.3% in 50K games. Stockfish's first choice is 9. f4.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Variations (1)
All 2 named lines that continue from here
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Neo-Modern Variation (B67)”. Lichess data as of 7 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/sicilian-defense-richter-rauzer-variation-neo-modern-variation